1 completely-Heb. כָּלָה [Onkelos renders: גְמִירָא . כָּלָה is therefore the equivalent of] כָּלִיל , complete. [I.e.,] He will let all of you out.
2 Please, speak- Heb. דַבֶּר-נָא is only an expression of request. [The verse is
saying] I ask you to warn them about this, [i.e., to ask their neighbors for
vessels] so that the righteous man, Abraham, will not say He fulfilled with
them [His promise] “and they will enslave them and oppress them” (Gen. 15:13),
but He did not fulfill with them “afterwards they will go forth with great
possessions” (Gen. 15:14).-[from Ber. 9a] I
4 Moses said, So said the
Lord-When he stood before Pharaoh, this prophecy was said to him, for after
he [Moses] left his [Pharaoh’s] presence, he did not see his face
[again].-[from Exod. Rabbah 18:1, Mishnath Rabbi Eliezer ch. 19]
At the dividing point of the
night-Heb. כַּחֲצֽת הַלַיְלָה , when the night is divided. כַּחֲצֽת is like “when the meal offering was offered up (כַּעֲלוֹת) ” (II Kings 3:20); [and like] “when their anger
was kindled (בַּחֲרוֹת) against us” (Ps. 124:3). This is its simple meaning,
which fits its context that חֲצֽת is not a noun denoting a half. Our Rabbis,
however, interpreted it like כַּחֲצִי
הַלַיְלָה , at about midnight [lit., half the night], and
they said that Moses said כַּחֲצֽת , about midnight, meaning near it [midnight],
either before it or after it, but he did not say בַּחֲצֽת , at midnight, lest Pharaoh’s astrologers err and
[then] say, “Moses is a liar,” but the Holy One, blessed be He, Who knows His
times and His seconds, בַּחֲצוֹת , at midnight.-[from Ber. 3b]
5 to the firstborn of the
captive-Why were the captives smitten? So that they would not
say, “Our deity has demanded [vengeance] for their [our] degradation, and
brought retribution upon Egypt.”-[from Mechilta, Bo, on Exod. 12: 29]
from the firstborn of Pharaoh…
to the firstborn of the slave woman-All those inferior to the Pharaoh’s
firstborn and superior to the slave woman’s firstborn were included. Why were
the sons of the slave women smitten? Because they too were enslaving them [the
Israelites] and were happy about their misfortune.-[from Pesikta Rabbathi, ch.
17]
and every firstborn animal-Because
they [the Egyptians] worshipped it, and when the Holy One, blessed be He,
punishes any nation, He punishes its deity.-[from Mechilta, Bo, on Exod. 12:29]
7 not one dog will whet its
tongue- Heb. יֶחֱרַץ . I say that יֶחֱרַץ means sharpening לֹא
יֶחֱרַץ , will not sharpen. Similarly, [in the phrase] “none whetted (חָרַץ) his tongue against any of the children of Israel” (Josh.
10:21), [ לֹא
יֶחֱרַץ means] he did not sharpen; [in the phrase] “then you shall
bestir (תֶּחֱרָץ) ” (II Sam. 5:24), [ תֶּחֶרָץ means] you shall sharpen; [in the phrase] “a…
grooved threshing sledge (חָרוּץ) ” (Isa. 41:15), [ חָרוּץ means] sharp; [in the phrase] “The plans of a
diligent man (חַרוּץ) ” (Prov. 21:5), חָרוּץ[ means] a sharp-witted person; [in the phrase]
“and the hand of the sharp-witted (חָרוּצִים) will make them rich” (Prov. 10:4), (חָרוּצִים) means sharp ones, shrewd merchants.
will separate-Heb. יַפְלֶה , will divide.-[from Onkelos, Jonathan] See the commentary on
Exod. 8:18.
8 And all these servants of
yours will come down-[By using this phrase,] he [Moses] showed respect for
the throne, because eventually Pharaoh himself went down to him at night and
said, “Get up and get out from among my people” (Exod. 12:31), although Moses
had not originally said, “You will come down to me and prostrate yourself to
me.”-[from Exod. Rabbah 7:3; Mechilta, Bo 13]
who are at your feet-Who
follow your advice and your way.
and afterwards I will go
out-with all the people from your land.
he exited from Pharaoh-After he
had completed his words, he went out from before him.
with burning anger because
he [Pharaoh] had said to him, “You shall no longer see my face” (Exod. 10:28)
9 in order to increase My
miracles in the land of Egypt- (“My miracles” denotes two; “to increase” denotes
three.) They are the plague of the firstborn, the splitting of the Red Sea, and
the stirring of the Egyptians [into the sea].
10 Moses and Aaron had
performed, etc.-It has already been written for us in reference to all
the miracles, and it [Scripture] did not repeat it here except to juxtapose it
to the following section [i.e., Exod. 12]. See Rashi’s commentary on the
following verse.
Chapter 12
1 The Lord spoke to Moses
and to Aaron-Since Aaron had worked and toiled with miracles just
like Moses, He accorded him this honor at the first commandment by including
him with Moses in [His] speech.-[from Tanchuma Buber, Bo 8; Mechilta] In early
editions of Rashi, this paragraph is part of the above paragraph, the comment
on 11:10. Indeed, that is how it appears in Tanchuma Buber.
in the land of Egypt-[I.e.,]
outside the city. Or perhaps it means only within the city? Therefore,
Scripture states: “When I leave the city, [I will spread my hands to the Lord]”
(Exod. 9:29). Now, if [even a] prayer, which is of minor importance, he [Moses]
did not pray within the city, a divine communication, which is of major
importance, how much more so [would God not deliver it to Moses within the
city]? Indeed, why did He not speak with him within the city? Because it was
full of idols.-[from Mechilta]
2 This month-Heb. הַחֽדֶשׁ הַזֶה , lit., this renewal. He [God] showed him
[Moses] the moon in its renewal and said to him, “When the moon renews itself, you
will have a new month” (Mechilta). Nevertheless, [despite this rendering,] a
biblical verse does not lose its simple meaning (Shab. 63a). Concerning the
month of Nissan, He said to him, “This shall be the first of the order of the
number of the months, so Iyar shall be called the second [month], and Sivan the
third [month].”
This-Moses
found difficulty [determining] the [precise moment of the] renewal of the moon,
in what size it should appear before it is fit for sanctification. So He showed
him with His finger the moon in the sky and said to him, “You must see a moon
like this and sanctify [the month].” Now how did He show it to him? Did He not
speak to him only by day, as it says: “Now it came to pass on the day that the
Lord spoke” (Exod. 6:28); “on the day He commanded” (Lev. 7:38); “from the day
that the Lord commanded and on” (Num. 15:23) ? Rather, just before sunset, this
chapter was said to him, and He showed him [the moon] when it became
dark.-[from Mechilta]
3 Speak to the entire
community-Heb. דַּבְּרוּ , [the plural form]. Now did Aaron speak? Was it
not already stated [to Moses]: “You shall speak” (Exod. 7:2) “and you speak to
the children of Israel, saying” (Exod. 31:13)]? But they [Moses and Aaron]
would show respect to each other and say to each other, “Teach me [what to
say],” and the speech would emanate from between them [and it would sound] as
if they both were speaking.-[from Mechilta]
to the entire community of
Israel, saying, “On the tenth of… month”- Speak today on Rosh Chodesh
[the New Moon] that they should take it [the lamb] on the tenth of the
month.-[From Mechilta]
this-The
Passover sacrifice of Egypt had to be taken on the tenth, but not the Passover
sacrifice of later generations.-[from Mechilta, Pes. 96a]
a lamb for each parental
home-[I.e., a lamb] for one family. If [the family members] were numerous, I
would think that one lamb would suffice for all of them. Therefore, the Torah
says: “a lamb for a household.”-[from Mechilta]
4 But if the household is
too small for a lamb-And if they are too few to have one lamb, for they
cannot eat it [all], and it will become left over (see verse 10), “then he and
his neighbor… shall take.” This is the apparent meaning according to its simple
interpretation. There is, however, also a midrashic interpretation, [namely
that this verse comes] to teach us that after they were counted on it, [i.e.,
after they registered for a certain lamb,] they may diminish their number and
withdraw from it and be counted on another lamb. If, however, they wish to
withdraw and diminish their number, [they must do it] מִהְיוֹתמִשֶׂה [lit., from the being of the lamb]. They must
diminish their number while the lamb still exists, while it is still alive, and
not after it has been slaughtered.-[from Mechilta, Pes. 98a]
according to the number of-Heb. בְּמִכְסַת , amount, and so “the amount of (מִכְסַת) your valuation: (Lev. 27:23).
according to one’s ability
to eat-[This indicates that only] one who is fit to eat-which
excludes the sick and aged-who cannot eat an olive-sized portion [can be
counted among the group for whom the sacrifice is killed].-[from Mechilta]
shall you be counted-Heb. תָּכֽסוּ [Onkelos renders:] תִּתְמְנוּן , you shall be counted.
5 perfect without a
blemish.-[from Mechilta]
in its [first] year-Heb. בֶּן-שָׁנָה For its entire first year it is called בֶּן-שָׁנָה , meaning that it was born during this year.-[from
Mechilta]
either from the sheep or
from the goats-Either from this [species] or from that [species], for
a goat is also called שֶׂה , as it is written: “and a kid (שֵֶׂה
עִזִים) ” (Deut. 14:4).-[from Mechilta]
6 And you shall keep it for
inspection-Heb. לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת . This is an expression of inspection, that it
[the animal] requires an inspection for a blemish four days before its
slaughter. Now why was it [the designated animal] to be taken four days before
its slaughter, something not required in the Passover sacrifice of later
generations? Rabbi Mathia the son of Charash used to say [in response]: Behold
He [God] says: “And I passed by you and saw you, and behold your time was the
time of love” (Ezek. 16:8). The [time for the fulfillment of the] oath that I
swore to Abraham that I would redeem his children has arrived. But they [the
Children of Israel] had no commandments in their hands with which to occupy
themselves in order that they be redeemed, as it is said: “but you were naked
and bare” (Ezek. 16:7). So He gave them two mitzvoth, the blood of the Passover
and the blood of the circumcision. They circumcised themselves on that night,
as it is said: “downtrodden with your blood (בְּדָמָיִךְ) ” (ibid., verse 6), with the two [types of]
blood. He [God] states also: “You, too—with the blood of your covenant I have
freed your prisoners from a pit in which there was no water” (Zech. 9:11).
Moreover, they [the Israelites] were passionately fond of idolatry. [Moses]
said to them, “Withdraw and take for yourselves” (Exod. 12:21). [He meant:]
withdraw from idolatry and take for yourselves sheep for the mitzvah.-[from
Mechilta, here and on verse 21] Note that on verse 21, Rashi explains that
differently.
shall slaughter it-Now do
they all slaughter [it]? Rather, from here we can deduce that a person’s agent
is like himself.-[from Mechilta, Kid. 41b] [Therefore, it is considered as if
all the Israelites slaughtered the sacrifice.]
the entire congregation of
the community of Israel- [This means] the congregation, the community, and
Israel. From here, they [the Rabbis] said: The communal Passover sacrifices are
slaughtered in three [distinct] groups, one after the other. [Once] the first
group entered, the doors of the Temple court were locked [until the group
finished; they were followed by the second group, etc.,] as is stated in
Pesachim (64b).
in the afternoon-Heb. בֵּין
הָעַרְבָּיִם From six hours [after sunrise] and onward is
called בֵּין
הָעַרְבַּיִם , literally, between the two evenings, for the sun
is inclined toward the place where it sets to become darkened. It seems to me
that the expression בֵּין
הָעַרְבַּיִם denotes those hours between the darkening of the
day and the darkening of the night. The darkening of the day is at the
beginning of the seventh hour, when the shadows of evening decline, and the
darkening of the night at the beginning of the night. עֶרֶב is an expression of evening and darkness, like
“all joy is darkened (וְעָרְבָה) ” (Isa. 24:11).-[from Mechilta] 7
And they shall take [some]
of the blood-This is the receiving of the blood [from the animal’s
neck immediately after the slaughtering]. I would think that it was to be
received in the hand. Therefore, Scripture says: “that is in the basin” (below,
verse 22), [specifying that the blood is to be received in a vessel].-[from
Mechilta]
the… door posts-They are
the upright posts, one from this side of the entrance and one from that
side.-[from Kid. 22b]
the lintel-Heb. הַמַשְׁקוֹף . That is the upper [beam], against which the door
strikes (שׁוֹקֵף) when it is being closed, lintel in Old French.
The term שְׁקִיפָה means striking, like [in the phrase] “the sound of
a rattling leaf” (Lev. 26:36), [which Onkelos renders:] טַרְפָּא
דְּֽשָקִיף , “bruise” (Exod. 21:25), [which Onkelos renders:]
מַשְׁקוֹפֵי .-[based on Jonathan]
on the houses in which they
will eat it-But not on the lintel and the doorposts of a house
[used] for [storing] straw or a house [used] for cattle, in which nobody
lives.-[based on Mechilta]
8 the flesh-but not
sinews or bones.-[from Mechilta]
and unleavened cakes; with
bitter herbs-Every bitter herb is called מָרוֹר , and He commanded them to eat bitters in
commemoration of “And they embittered their lives” (Exod. 1:14).-[from Pes.
39a, 116b]
9 You shall not eat it rare-Heb. .נָא
Something not roasted sufficiently is called נָא in Arabic.
or boiled-All this
is included in the prohibition of You shall not eat it.-[from Pes. 41b]
in water How do
we know that [it is also prohibited to cook it] in other liquids? Therefore,
Scripture states: מְבֻשָׁל
וּבָשֵׁל , [meaning boiled] in any manner.-[from Pes. 41a]
except roasted over the
fire-Above (verse 8), He decreed upon it [the animal sacrifice] with a positive
commandment, and here He added to it a negative [commandment]: “You shall not
eat it except roasted over the fire.”-[from Pes. 41b]
its head with its legs-One
should roast it completely as one, with its head and with its legs and with its
innards, and one must place its intestines inside it after they have been
rinsed (Pes. 74a). The expression עַל
כְּרָעָיו
וְעַל-קִרְבּוֹ is similar to the expression “with their hosts (עַל-צִבְאֽתָם) ” (Exod. 6:26), [which is] like בְּצִבְאֽתָם , as they are, this too means [they should roast
the animal] as it is, all its flesh complete.
10 and whatever is left over
of it until morning- What is the meaning of “until morning” a second time?
[This implies] adding one morning to another morning, for morning starts with
sunrise, and this verse is here to make it [the prohibition] earlier, [i.e.,]
that it is forbidden to eat it [the leftover flesh] from dawn. This is
according to its apparent meaning. Another midrashic interpretation is that
this teaches that it may not be burnt on Yom Tov but on the next day, and this
is how it is to be interpreted: and what is left over from it on the first
morning you shall wait until the second morning and burn it.-[from Shab. 24b]
11 your loins girded-Ready for
the way [i.e., for travel].-[from Mechilta]
in haste-Heb. בְּחִפָּזוֹן , a term denoting haste and speed, like “and David
was hastening (נֶחְפָז) ” (I Sam. 23:26); that the Arameans had cast off
in their haste (בְּחָפְזָם) (II Kings 7:15).-[from Onkelos]
it is a Passover sacrifice
to the Lord- Heb. פֶּסַח . The sacrifice is called פֶּסַח because of the skipping and the jumping over,
which the Holy One, blessed be He, skipped over the Israelites’ houses that
were between the Egyptians houses. He jumped from one Egyptian to another
Egyptian, and the Israelite in between was saved. [“To the Lord” thus implies]
you shall perform all the components of its service in the name of Heaven.
(Another explanation:) [You should perform the service] in the manner of
skipping and jumping, [i.e., in haste] in commemoration of its name, which is
called Passover (פֶּסַח) , and also [in old French] pasche, pasque, pasca,
an expression of striding over.-[from Mishnah Pes. 116a,b; Mechilta d’Rabbi
Shimon ben Yochai, verse 27; Mechilta on this verse]
12 I will pass-like a
king who passes from place to place, and with one passing and in one moment
they are all smitten.-[from Mechilta]
every firstborn in the land
of Egypt-Even other firstborn who are in Egypt [will die]. Now
how do we know that even the firstborn of the Egyptians who are in other places
[will die]? Therefore, Scripture states: “To Him Who smote the Egyptians with
their firstborn” (Ps. 136:10).-[from Mechilta]
both man and beast [I.e.,
first man and then beast.] He who started to sin first from him the retribution
starts.-[from Mechilta]
and upon all the gods of
Egypt- The one made of wood will rot, and the one made of metal will melt and
flow to the ground.-[from Mechilta]
will I wreak judgments-I The
Lord-I by Myself and not through a messenger.-[from Passover Haggadah]
13 And the blood will be for
you for a sign-[The blood will be] for you a sign but not a sign
for others. From here, it is derived that they put the blood only on the
inside.-[from Mechilta 11]
and I will see the blood-[In
fact,] everything is revealed to Him. [Why then does the Torah mention that God
will see the blood?] Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I will focus
My attention to see that you are engaged in My commandments, and I will skip
over you.”-[from Mechilta]
and skip over-Heb. וּפָסַחְתִּי [is rendered] and I will have pity, and similar to
it: “sparing פָּסוֹחַ and rescuing” (Isa. 31:5). I say, however, that
every [expression of] פְּסִיחָה is an expression of skipping and jumping. [Hence,]
וּפָסַחְתִּי [means that] He was skipping from the houses of
the Israelites to the houses of the Egyptians, for they were living one in the
midst of the other. Similarly, “skipping between (פּֽסְחִים) two ideas” (I Kings 18:21). Similarly, the lame (פִּסְחִים) walk as if jumping. Similarly, פָּסוֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט means: jumping over him and rescuing him from
among the slain.-[from Mechilta] Both views are found in Mechilta. The first
view is also that of Onkelos.
and there will be no plague
to destroy [you]-But there will be [a plague] upon the Egyptians. Let
us say that an Egyptian was in an Israelite’s house. I would think that he
would escape. Therefore, Scripture states: “and there will be no plague upon
you,” but there will be [a plague] upon the Egyptians in your houses. Let us
say that an Israelite was in an Egyptian’s house. I would think that he would
be smitten like him. Therefore, Scripture states: “and there will be no plague
upon you.”-[from Mechilta]
14 as a memorial-for
generations.
and you shall celebrate it
The day that is a memorial for you—you shall celebrate it. But we have not yet heard
which is the day of memorial. Therefore, Scripture states: “Remember this day,
when you went out of Egypt” (Exod. 13:3). we learn that the day of the Exodus
is the day of memorial. Now on what day did they go out [of Egypt]? Therefore,
Scripture states: “On the day after the Passover, they went out” (Num. 33:3). I
must therefore say that the fifteenth of Nissan is the day of the festival,
because the night of the fifteenth they ate the Passover sacrifice, and in the
morning they went out.
throughout your generations-I
understand [this to mean] the smallest number of generations, [namely only]
two. Therefore, Scripture states: “you shall celebrate it as an everlasting
statute.”-[from Mechilta]
15 For seven days-Heb. שִׁבְעַת יָמִים , seteyne of days, i.e., a group of seven days.
[See Rashi on Exod. 10:22.]
For seven days you shall eat
unleavened cakes- But elsewhere it says: “For six days you shall eat
unleavened cakes” (Deut. 16:8). This teaches [us] regarding the seventh day of
Passover, that it is not obligatory to eat matzah, as long as one does not eat
chametz. How do we know that [the first] six [days] are also optional
[concerning eating matzah]? This is a principle in [interpreting] the Torah: Anything
that was included in a generalization [in the Torah] and was excluded from that
generalization [in the Torah] to teach [something] it was not excluded to teach
[only] about itself, but it was excluded to teach about the entire
generalization. [In this case it means that] just as [on] the seventh day
[eating matzah] is optional, so is it optional in [the first] six [days]. I
might think that [on] the first night it is also optional. Therefore, Scripture
states: “in the evening, you shall eat unleavened cakes” (Exod. 12:18). The
text established it as an obligation.-[from Mechilta]
but on the preceding day you
shall clear away all leaven-Heb. בַּיוֹם
הָרִאשׁוֹן . On the day before the holiday; it is called the
first [day], because it is before the seven; [i.e., it is not the first of the
seven days]. Indeed, we find [anything that is] the preceding one [is] called רִאשׁוֹן , e.g., הֲרִאשׁוֹן אָדָם
תִּוָלֵד , “Were you born before Adam?” (Job 15:7). Or perhaps it means
only the first of the seven [days of Passover]. Therefore, Scripture states:
“You shall not slaughter with leaven [the blood of My sacrifice]” (Exod.
34:25). You shall not slaughter the Passover sacrifice as long as the leaven
still exists.-[from Mechilta, Pes. 5a] [Since the Passover sacrifice may be
slaughtered immediately after noon on the fourteenth day of Nissan, clearly the
leaven must be removed before that time. Hence the expression בַּיוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן must refer to the day preceding the festival.]
that soul When he
[(the person) eats the leaven while he] is with his soul and his knowledge;
this excludes one who commits the sin under coercion.-[from Mechilta, Kid. 43a]
from Israel I
[could] understand that it [the soul] will be cut off from Israel and will [be
able to] go to another people. Therefore, [to avoid this error] Scripture
states elsewhere: “from before Me” (Lev. 22:3), meaning: from every place which
is My domain.-[from Mechilta]
16 a holy convocation-Heb. מִקְרָא .מִקְרָא
קֽדֶשׁ is a noun. Call it [the day] holy with regard to eating,
drinking, and clothing.-[from Mechilta]
no work may be performed on
them-even through others.-[from Mechilta]
that alone [I.e.,
the necessary work for food preparation.] (I would think that even for gentiles
[it is allowed]. Therefore, Scripture states: “that alone may be performed for
you,” for you but not for gentiles.) That [the work needed for food] but not
its preparations that can be done on the eve of the festival [e.g., repairing a
spit for roasting, or a stove for cooking].-[from Beitzah 28b]
by any soul- Even for
animals. I would think that even for gentiles. Therefore, Scripture states:
“for you.”-[from Beitzah 21b, Mechilta] Another version: Therefore, Scripture
states: “but,” which makes a distinction.-[from Mechilta].
17 And you shall watch over
the unleavened cakes-that they should not become leavened. From here they
[the Rabbis] derived that if [the dough] started to swell, she [the woman
rolling it out] must moisten it with cold water. Rabbi Josiah says: Do not
read:, אֶת-הַמַצּוֹת , the unleavened cakes, אֶת-הַמִצְוֹת , the commandments. Just as we may not permit the
matzoth to become leavened, so may we not permit the commandments to become
leavened [i.e., to wait too long before we perform them], but if it [a commandment]
comes into your hand, perform it immediately.-[from Mechilta]
and you shall observe this
day-from [performing] work.
throughout your generations,
[as] an everlasting statute-Since “generations” and “an everlasting statute” were
not stated regarding the [prohibition of doing] work, but only regarding the
celebration [sacrifice], the text repeats it here, so that you will not say
that the warning of: “no work may be performed” was not said for [later]
generations, but only for that generation [of the Exodus].
18 until the twenty-first
day-Why was this stated? Was it not already stated: “Seven days”? Since it
says “days,” how do we know “nights” [are included in the mitzvah or
commandment]? Therefore, Scripture states: “until the twenty-first day,
etc.”-[from Mechilta] 19 shall not be found in your houses-How do we know [that
the same ruling applies] to [leavening found within] the borders [outside the
house]? Therefore, Scripture states: “throughout all of your borders” (Exod.
13:7). Why, then, did Scripture state: “in your houses”? [To teach us that]
just as your house is in your domain, so [the prohibition against possessing
leaven in] your borders [means only what is] in your domain. This excludes
leaven belonging to a gentile which is in a Jew’s possession, and for which he
[the Jew] did not accept responsibility.-[from Mechilta]
for whoever eats leavening-[This
passage comes] to punish with “kareth” [premature death by the hands of Heaven]
for [eating] leavening. But did He not already [give the] punishment for eating
leaven? But [this verse is necessary] so that you should not say that [only]
for [eating] leaven, which is edible, did He punish, but for [eating]
leavening, which is not edible, He would not punish. [On the other hand,] if He
punished [also] for [eating] leavening and did not [state that] He punished for
[eating] leaven, I would say that [only] for [eating] leavening, which causes
others to become leavened did He punish, [but] for [eating] leaven, which does
not leaven others, He would not punish. Therefore, both of them had to be
stated.-[from Mechilta, Beitzah 7b]
both among the strangers and
the native born of the land-Since the miracle [of the Exodus] was performed for
Israel, it was necessary to [explicitly] include the strangers [who were
proselytized but are not descended from Israelite stock].-[from Mechilta]
20 You shall not eat…
leavening [This is] a warning against eating leavening.
any leavening-This comes
to include its mixture [namely that one may not eat a mixture of chametz and
other foods].-[from Mechilta]
throughout all your
dwellings you shall eat unleavened cakes-This comes to teach that it
[the matzah] must be fit to be eaten in all your dwelling places. This excludes
the second tithe and the matzah loaves that accompany a thanksgiving offering,
[which are not fit to be eaten in all dwelling places, but only in Jerusalem].
[This insert may be Rashi’s or the work of an earlier printer or
copyist.]-[from Mechilta]
21 Draw forth Whoever
has sheep shall draw from his own.
or buy Whoever
has none shall buy from the market.-[from Mechilta]
for your families-A lamb
for a parental house.-[from Mechilta 3]
22 hyssop-Heb. אֵזוֹב . A species of herb that has thin stalks.
a bunch of hyssop Three stalks
are called a bunch.-[Sukkah 13a]
that is in the basin-Heb. בַּסַּף , in the vessel, like “silver pitchers (סִפּוֹת) ” (II Kings 12:14). [from Mechilta]
the blood that is in the
basin-Why does the text repeat this? So that you should not say that
[Scripture means] one immersion for [all] the three sprinklings. Therefore, it
says again: “that is in the basin,” [to indicate] that every sprinkling shall
be from the blood that is in the basin-for each touching an immersion [is
necessary].-[from Mechilta]
and you shall not go out,
etc.- This tells [us] that once the destroyer is given permission to destroy,
he does not discriminate between righteous and wicked. And night is the time
that destroyers are given permission, as it is said: “in which every beast of
the forest moves about” (Ps. 104:20).-[from Mechilta]
23 will pass over Heb. וּפָסַח , and He will have pity. This may also be rendered: and He will
skip over. See Rashi on verses 11 and 13.
and He will not permit the
destroyer Heb. וְלֹא
יִתֵּן , lit., and will not give. [I.e.,] He will not grant him the
ability to enter, as in “but God did not permit him (נְתָנוֹ) to harm me” (Gen. 31:7).
25 And it shall come to pass
when you enter-Scripture makes this commandment contingent upon their
entry into the land, but in the desert, they were obligated only to bring one
Passover sacrifice, the one they performed in the second year, [which they did]
by divine mandate.-[from Mechilta]
as He spoke-Now where
did He speak? “And I will bring you to the land, etc.” (Exod. 6:8).-[from
Mechilta]
27 And the people kneeled
and prostrated themselves-[in thanksgiving] for the tidings of the redemption,
the entry into the land [of Israel], and the tidings of the children that they
would have.-[from Mechilta]
28 So the children of Israel
went and did-Now did they already do [it]? Wasn’t this said to them
on Rosh Chodesh? But since they accepted upon themselves [to do it], Scripture
credits them for it as if they had [already] done [it].-[from Mechilta]
went and did- Scripture
counts also the going, to give reward for the going and reward for the
deed.-[from Mechilta]
as the Lord commanded Moses
and Aaron- [This comes] to tell Israel’s praise, that they did
not omit anything of all the commandments of Moses and Aaron. And what is the
meaning of “so they did”? Moses and Aaron also did so.-[from Mechilta]
Pesiqta deRab Kahana
Midrashic sermons
for Shabbat HaChodesh
Pisqa Five
[The Lord said to Moses and Aaron
in the land of Egypt,] “This month [will be for you the beginning of months; it
will be the first month of the year for you]” (Ex. 12:1-2).
V:I
He appointed the moon for [lunar]
seasons, yet the sun knows its coming (Ps. 104:19): Said R. Yohanan,
“Only the orb of the sun was created for the purpose of giving light. “Let
there be light” (Gen. 1:14): What is written is light [in the singular].
If so, why was the moon created? It was for the signification of the seasons,
specifically so that, through [regular sightings of the moon, Israelites would]
sanctify new months and years. R. Shila of Kefar Tamarata in the name of R.
Yohanan: “Nonetheless: The sun knows its coming (Ps. 104:19). On the
basis of that statement, we have the following rule: people count the advent
of the new moon only once the sun has set. [Proving the foregoing
proposition,] Yusta, an associate, in the name of R. Berekhiah: And they
traveled from Raamses in the first month on the fifteenth day of the month
(Num. 33:3). Now if one counts only by the month, up to this point there had
been only fourteen [Genesis Rabbah 6:1: thirteen] sunsets. [Freedman, Genesis
Rabbah, p. 41, n. 4: This is based on the tradition that the Nisan — the first
month — in which the Exodus took place fell on a Thursday, while the actual new
moon occurred after midday on the preceding Wednesday. It is further assumed
that, when this happens, the moon is not visible until the second evening
following, i.e., the evening of Friday. Hence if we counted time solely from
when the new moon is visible, then by the Thursday on which they left, a
fortnight after, there would only have been thirteen sunsets. Since, however,
it is called the fifteenth of the month, we see that the month was calculated
from the first sunset after the new moon.] One must therefore conclude that one
counts the beginning of the month only from sunset.
R. Azariah in the name of R.
Hamna: Only the orb of the sun was created for the purpose of giving light. Let
there be light (Gen. 1:14): What is written is light [in the singular].
If so, why was the moon created at all? The Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw
that the nations of the world were going to make [the heavenly bodies] into
gods. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Now if they are two and contradict one
another, and nonetheless, the nations of the world treat them as gods, if they
are only one, how much the more so [will the nations of the world find reason
to worship the heavenly body]!’ R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Simon: Both of
them were created in order to give light, as it is said, And they shall
serve for light (Gen.
1:14).
And they shall serve as lights (Gen. 1:15). And
God put them in the firmament of the heavens (Gen. 1:17). And they will
serve as signs and for seasons (Gen. 1:14). And they will serve as signs
(Gen. 1:14) refers to Sabbaths, for it is written, For it is a sign for you (Ex.
31:13). And for seasons refers to the three pilgrim festivals. And
for days refers to new months. And years refers to the
sanctification of years. Indicating in all that the nations of the world will
follow a solar calendar, and Israel, a lunar one: The Lord said to Moses and
Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month will be for you the beginning of
months; it will be the first month of the year for you” (Ex. 12:1-2).
V:II
Great things have you done, 0
Lord my God; your wonderful purposes are all for our good; none can compare
with you; I would proclaim them and speak of them, but they are more than I can
tell
(Prov. 40:5): R. Hinenah bar Papa says two [teachings in respect to the cited
verse]: All those wonders and plans which you made so that our father, Abraham,
would accept the subjugation of Israel to the nations were for our good, for
our sake, so that we might endure in the world. Simeon bar Abba in the name of
R. Yohanan: Four things did the Holy One, blessed be He, show to our father,
Abraham: the Torah, the sacrifices, Gehenna, and the rule of the kingdoms. The
Torah: ... and a flaming torch passed between these pieces (Gen. 15:17).
Sacrifices: And he said to him, Take for me a heifer divided into three
parts (Gen. 15:9). Gehenna: behold a smoking fire pot. The rule of
the kingdoms: Lo, dread, a great darkness (Gen. 15:12). The Holy One,
blessed be He, said to our father, Abraham, ‘So long as your descendants are
occupied with the former two, they will be saved from the latter two. If they
abandon the former two of them, they will be judged by the other two. So long
as they are occupied with study of the Torah and performance of the sacrifices,
they will be saved from Gehenna and from the rule of the kingdoms.’ But [God
says to Abraham] in the future the house of the sanctuary is destined to be
destroyed and the sacrifices nullified. What is your preference? Do you want
your children to go down into Gehenna or to be subjugated to the four kingdoms?
R. Hinena bar Pappa said, “Abraham himself chose the subjugation to the four
kingdoms. What is the scriptural basis for that view? How should one chase a
thousand and two put ten thousand to flight, except their rock had given them
over (Deut. 32:30). That statement concerning the rock refers only
to Abraham, as it is said, Look at the rock from which you were hewn (Is.
51:1). But the Lord delivered them up (Deut. 32:30) teaches that God
then approved what he had chosen.
R. Berekhiah in the name of R.
Levi: “Now Abraham sat and puzzled all that day, saying, ‘Which should I
choose, Gehenna or subjugation to the kingdoms? The one is worse than the
other?’ Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, ‘Abraham, how long are you
going to sit in puzzlement? Choose without delay.’ That is in line with this
verse: On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying (Gen.
15:18). What is the meaning of, saying? R. Hinena bar Pappa said,
Abraham chose for himself the subjugation to the four kingdoms. We have reached
the dispute of R. Yudan and R. Idi and R. Hama bar Haninah said in the name of
a single sage in the name of Rabbi: The Holy One, blessed be He, [not Abraham]
chose the subjugation to the four kingdoms for him, in line with the following
verse of Scripture: You have caused men to ride over our heads (Ps.
66:12). That is to say, You have made ride over our heads various nations,
and it is as though we went through fire and through water (Ps. 66:21).
R. Hinenah bar Papa said a further
teaching. R. Hinenah bar Papa says: All those wonders and plans which You made
were so that a man might desire his wife. What is the Scripture basis for that
view? And Adam knew his wife again (Gen. 4:25). What is the meaning of again?
The lust for sexual relations that he had was augmented [so explaining the
meaning of the word again]. In the past, if he did not see her, he did
not lust after her. Now, whether or not he saw her, he desired her. R. Abba bar
Yudan in the name of R. Aha: This is an indication for commercial travelers and
for sailors to remember their wives and come home as quickly as they can.
R. Simon said, All those wonders
and plans which you made were so that the Gentiles of the world would not
accept your Torah. Now was it not perfectly obvious to You that the Gentiles of
the world were not going to accept Your Torah? Why did it appear as though He
were making the circuit of the Gentiles? It was so as to double the reward that
was/is coming to us.
For R. Simeon said, ...Your
wonderful purposes are all for our good: for all those two thousand four
hundred forty eight years before the Israelites had gone forth from Egypt, the
Holy One, blessed be He, was sitting and making calculations, intercalating the
years, sanctifying the years, celebrating the new months. When the Israelites
went forth from Egypt, he handed the task over to them. That is in line with
this verse of Scripture: The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of
Egypt, saying, [‘This month will be for you the beginning of months; it will be
the first month of the year for you”] (Ex. 12:1-2). What is the meaning of saying?
He said to them, From now on, lo, these are given over to you: this month
will be for you the beginning of months; it will be the first month of the year
for you.
V:III
Hope deferred makes the heart
sick, [but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. He who despises the word
brings destruction on himself, but he who respects the commandments will be
rewarded. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may avoid
the snares of death] (Prov.
13:12-14): R. Hiyya bar Ba opened discourse by citing the verse: Hope
deferred makes the heart sick — this refers to one who betroths a woman and
takes her as his wife only after delay. ...but a desire fulfilled is a tree
of life — this refers to one who betroths a woman and takes her as his wife
right away.
Another interpretation: Hope
deferred makes the heart sick — this refers to David, who was anointed and
then ruled only after two years had passed. ...but a desire fulfilled is a
tree of life — this refers to Saul, who was anointed and then ruled right
away. On account of what merit [did Saul have that good fortune]? On account of
the merit accruing for the good deeds which were to his credit, for he was humble
and modest. For he ate his ordinary food [not deriving from his share of an
animal sacrificed in the Temple, for example] in a state of cultic cleanness
[as if he were eating holy food deriving from his share of an offering made in
the Temple]. And, further, he would spend his own funds so as to protect the
funds of Israel. And he treated as equal the honor owing to his servant with
the honor owing to himself. Judah bar Nahman in the name of R. Simeon b.
Laqish: For he was one who was subject to study of the Torah: By me [the
Torah speaks] princes rule (Prov. 18:16). By me kings rule [and Saul
ruled through his study of the Torah] (Prov. 8:15).
R. Ishmael taught on Tannaite
authority, Before a man has sinned, people pay him reverence and awe. Once he
has sinned, they impose on him reverence and awe. Thus, before the first man
had sinned, he would hear [God’s] voice in an workaday way. After he had
sinned, he heard the same voice as something strange. Before he had sinned, the
first man heard God’s voice and would stand on his feet: And they heard the
sound of God walking in the garden in the heat of the day (Gen. 3:8). After
he had sinned, he heard the voice of God and hid: And man and his wife hid
(Gen. 3:8). Said R. Aibu, At that moment the height of the first Man was cut
down and he became a hundred cubits high. [Ishmael continues:] Before the
Israelites sinned, what is written in their regard? And the appearance of
the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain
before the eyes of the children of Israel (Ex. 24:17). Said R. Abba bar
Kahana, “There were seven veils of fire, one covering the next, and the
Israelites gazed and did not fear or take fright. But when they had sinned,
even on the face of the intercessor [Moses] they could not look: And Aaron
and all the children of Israel feared...to come near (Ex. 34:40).
R. Phineas bar Abun in the name
of R. Hanin: Also the intercessor felt the sin: Kings of hosts do flee, do
flee (Ps. 68:13).” [This is now explained.] R. Yudan in the name of R. Aibu
says, ‘Angels of hosts’ is not what is written here, but what is written is Kings
of hosts, the kings of the angels, even Michael, even Gabriel, were not
able to look upon the face of Moses. But after the Israelites had sinned, even
on the faces of lesser angels Moses could not gaze: For I was in dread of
anger and hot wrath (Deut. 9:19).
Before the deed of David [with
Bath Sheba] took place, what is written? For David: The Lord is my light and
my salvation, of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1). But after that deed
took place, what is written? I will come upon him while he is weary and
weak-handed (2 Sam. 17:2).
Before Solomon sinned, he could
rule over demons and demonesses: I got for myself...Adam’s progeny, demons
and demonesses (Eccl. 2:8). What is the sense of demons and demonesses?
For he ruled over demons and demonesses. But after he had sinned, he brought
sixty mighty men to guard his bed: Lo, the bed of Solomon, with sixty mighty
men around it, all of them holding a sword and veterans of war (Song
3:7-8).
Before Saul had sinned, what is
written concerning him? And when Saul had taken dominion over Israel, he
fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the
Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the
Philistines; wherever he turned he put them to the worse (1 Sam. 14:47).
After he had sinned what is written concerning him? And Saul saw the camp of
the Philistines and was afraid (1 Sam. 28:5).
Another interpretation of the
verse Hope deferred makes the heart sick: Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, This
refers to the Israelites before they were redeemed. You find that when Moses
came to the Israelites and said to them, ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, has said
to me, Go, say to Israel, I have surely remembered you,’ (Ex. 3:16),
they said to him, ‘Moses, our lord, it is still a mere remembering! What is
my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient?
Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze? [In truth I have
no help in me. and any resources is driven from me] (Job 6:11-13). Is our
strength the strength of stones? is our flesh made of bronze? But when he said
to him, ‘This month you will be redeemed,’ they said, ‘That is a good sign.’ ...but
a desire fulfilled is a tree of life: This month will be for you the
beginning of months; it will be the first month of the year for you (Ex.
12:1-2).
V:IV
Judah bar Nahman in the name of
R. Simeon b. Laqish opened discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture:
Oh send out your light and your truth; let them lead me, let them bring me
to your holy hill and to your dwelling. [Then I will go to the altar of God, to
God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the lyre, 0 God, my God]
(Ps. 43:3-4). ...send out your light refers to Moses: And Moses did
not know that his face was glistening with beams of light (Ex. 34:29). ...
and your truth refers to Aaron, The Torah of truth was in his mouth
(Malachi 2:7). Your truth and light be with your holy one (Deut. 33:8).
And there are those who reverse matters: ...send out your light refers to
Aaron: Your truth and light be with your holy one (Deut. 33:8). ...and
your truth refers to Moses, Not so is my servant Moses, in all my
household the most trustworthy (Num. 12:7).
Said R. Isaac, Even at the sea
Moses foresaw that he was not going to enter the Land of Israel: She keeps
her eye on the doings of her household (Prov. 31:27). What is written in
the pertinent passage is not, ‘you will bring it and plant it,’ but rather, You
brought them in and planted them (Ex. 15:17). Yet it is written: ...let
them lead me, let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. This
refers to the scribes of the Land of Israel, who are as holy as the Land of
Israel itself.
Another comment on the verse: Oh
send out your light and your truth; [let them lead me, let them bring me to
your holy hill and to your dwelling. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God
my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the lyre, 0 God, my God] (Ps.
43:3-4). ...send out your light refers to Moses and Aaron, through whom
the Holy One, blessed be He, sent light to Israel to redeem them from Israel.
When did this take place? In this month: This month for you is the first of
the months (Ex. 12:2).
V:V
R. Levi opened discourse by
citing the following verse: And you will be holy to me [because I the Lord
am holy. I have made a clear separation between you and the heathen, that you
may belong to me] (Lev. 20:26). R. Yudan in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina,
R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Abbahu: Had it been stated, ‘And I will separate
the nations of the world from you,’ the nations of the world would have had no
standing. But what it says is, I have made a clear separation between you
and the heathen. It is like someone who sorts out the good grain from the
bad, choosing and coming back and choosing again. If he chooses the bad from
the good, he makes a choice and does not go back and make a further selection.
Said R. Levi, In all their deeds
the Israelites are different from the nations of the world, in their manner of
ploughing, sowing, reaping, making sheaves, threshing, working at the threshing
floor and at the wine press, counting and reckoning the calendar: As to
ploughing: You will not plough with an ox and and ass together (Deut.
22:10). ...sowing: You will now sow your vineyard with mixed seeds (Lev.
22:9). ...reaping: You will not gather the gleaning of your harvest
(Lev. 19:9). ...making sheaves: And the forgotten sheaf in the field you
will not recover (Deut. 24:12). ...threshing: You will not muzzle an ox
in its threshing (Deut. 25:4). ...working at the threshing floor and at the
wine press: You will provide liberally (for the Hebrew servant) out of your
threshing floor and wine press (Deut. 15:14). ...counting and reckoning the
calendar: The nations of the world reckon by the sun, and Israel by the moon: This
month will be for you the first of the months (Ex. 12:2).
V:VI
I sleep but my heart is awake.
Listen! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my dearest, my dove, my
perfect one, for my head is drenched with dew, my locks with the moisture of
the night”
(Song 5:2): Said the community of Israel before the Holy One, blessed be He,
‘While I am asleep at the house of the sanctuary [because it is destroyed], my
heart is awake in the houses of assembly and study. I am asleep as to the
offerings, but my heart is awake as to the religious duties and acts of
righteousness/generosity. I am asleep as to religious duties, but my heart is
nonetheless awake to carry them out. I am asleep as to the end, but my heart is
awake as to redemption. I am asleep as to redemption, but the heart of the Holy
One, blessed be He, is awake to redeem us.’
Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, How do we
know that the Holy One is called ‘the heart of Israel’? On the basis of this
verse: Rock of my heart and my portion is God forever (Ps. 73:26).
...My beloved is knocking refers to Moses: And
Moses said, Thus said the Lord, At about midnight I will go out in the midst
of Egypt (Ex. 11:4). Open to me: said R. Yose, Said the Holy One,
blessed be He, ‘Open to me [a hole] as small as the eye of a needle, and I will
open to you a gate so large that troops and siege-engines can go through it.’ ...my
sister: [God speaks:] My sister — in Egypt, for they became my kin
through two religious duties, the blood of the Passover-offering and the blood
of circumcision. my dearest — at the sea, for they showed their love for
Me at the sea, And they said, the Lord will reign forever and ever (Ex. 15:19).
my dove — my dove at Marah, where through receiving commandments they
become distinguished for Me like a dove. ...my perfect one — My
perfect one at Sinai, for they became pure at Sinai: And they said, all
that the Lord has spoken we will do and we shall hear (Ex. 24:7).
R. Yannai said, My twin, for I am
not greater than they, nor they than I. R.. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name
of R. Levi, Just as in the case of twins, if one of them gets a headache, the
other one feels it, so said the Holy One, blessed be He, I am with him in
trouble (Ps. 91:15). ...for my head is drenched with dew. The
heavens dropped dew (Judges 5:4). ...my locks with the moisture of the
night: Yes, the clouds dropped water (Judges 5:4). When is this the
case? In this month: This month is for you the first of the months (Ex.
12:2).
V:VII
.
Hark! My beloved! Here he comes,
bounding over the mountains, leaping over the hills. [My beloved is like a
gazelle, or a young wild goat: there he stands outside our wall, peeking in at
the windows, glancing through the lanice. My beloved answered, he said to me,
Rise up, my darling; my fairest, come away. For now the winter is past, the
rains are over and gone; the flowers appear in the countryside; the time is
coming when the birds will sing, and the turtle-dove’s cooing will be heard in
our land; when the green figs will ripen on the fig-trees and the vines give
forth their fragrance. Rise up my darling, my fairest, come away] (Song 2:8-10): R.
Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis: R. Judah says, Hark! My beloved! Here he
comes refers to Moses. When Moses came and said to Israel, ‘In this month
you will be redeemed,’ they said to him, ‘Moses, our lord, how are we going to
be redeemed? Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say to our father, Abraham, your
descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and they will be
slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years (Gen.
15:13)? And is it not the case that we have to our account only two hundred and
ten years [of slavery in Egypt]?’ He said to them, ‘Since He wants to redeem
you, He does not pay attention to your accounts. But bounding over the
mountains, leaping over the hills means that he is skipping over
foreordained calculations of the end and over all reckonings and times. In this
month you will be redeemed: This month is for you the beginning of months
(Ex. 12:2).
R. Nehemiah says, Hark! My
beloved! Here he comes refers to Moses. When Moses came and said to Israel,
‘In this month you will be redeemed,’ they said to him, ‘Moses, our lord, how
are we going to be redeemed? And the land of Egypt is filled with the filth of
idolatry that belongs to us.’ He said to them, ‘Since He wants to redeem you,
He does not pay attention to your idolatry. But He goes bounding over the
mountains, leaping over the hills, and hills refers to idolatry, in
line with this verse: On the tops of mountains they make sacrifices and in
hills they offer incense (Hos. 4:12).
Rabbis say, Hark! My beloved!
Here he comes refers to Moses. When Moses came and said to Israel, ‘In this
month you will be redeemed,’ they said to him, ‘Moses, our lord, how are we
going to be redeemed? And we have no good deeds to our credit.’ He said to
them, ‘Since He wants to redeem you, He does not pay attention to your
wicked/lawless deeds. But to whom does He pay attention? To the
righteous/generous who are among you, for example, Amram and his court. For hills
and mountains refers only to courts, in line with this verse: That I may
go and seek out upon the mountains (Judges 11:37).
Said R. Yudan, As to slavery and
sojourning in a land that is not theirs, ...that your descendants will be
sojourners in a land that is not theirs and they will be slaves there, and they
will be oppressed for four hundred years, including even the years that
they were at ease [cf. Braude and Kapstein, p. 101].
R. Yudan in the name of R.
Eliezer son of R. Yose the Galilean, R. Hunah in the name of R. Eliezer b.
Jacob: Hark! My beloved! Here he comes refers to the messiah-king. When
he came and said to Israel, ‘In this month you will be redeemed,’ they said to
him, ‘Messiah-king, our lord, how are we going to be redeemed? Did not the Holy
One, blessed be He, say that He would make us slaves among the seventy
nations?’ And he answered them with two replies, saying to them, ‘If one of you
has gone into exile to Barbaria and one to Sarmatia, it is as if all of you had
gone into exile. Furthermore, this wicked/lawless government drafts soldiers
from each nation. If one Samaritan comes and is drafted, it is as if the whole
of his nation has been subjugated. If one Ethiopian comes and is drafted, it is
as if the whole of his nation has been subjugated. In this month you will be
redeemed,’ This month is for you the beginning of months (Ex. 12:2).”
V:VIII
My beloved is like a gazelle, or
a young wild goat: [there he stands outside our wall, peeking in at the
windows, glancing through the lattice. My beloved answered, he said to me, Rise
up, my darling; my fairest, come away] (Song 2:8-10): My beloved is
like a gazelle: said R. Isaac, You say to us, ‘Come hither. Come hither to
us, for you come to us first.’ [Braude and Kapstein, p. 10]: The word for beloved,
when separated into two parts, makes two Greek words, standing for come
hither and God, so in the first part, ‘You O God say to us, Come
hither,’ and in the second part, Israel replies, ‘God, You come to us before we
stir.’]”
[My beloved is like a gazelle:] Said R. Isaac,”Just as
a gazelle skips and jumps from tree to tree, hut to hut, fence to fence, so the
Holy One, blessed be He, skipped from Egypt to the Sea, from the sea to Sinai.
In Egypt they saw Him: And I shall pass through the land of Egypt on that
night (Ex. 12:12). At the sea they saw him: And Israel saw the great
hand (Ex. 14:32). At Sinai they saw him: And the Lord spoke from Sinai,
He came and shown from Seir to him (Deut. 32:2).
...or a young wild goat: R. Yose b. R.
Haninah said, ‘Like the young of a gazelle.’
...there he stands outside our
wall:
For on the third day the Lord came down before the eyes of the entire people
(Ex. 19:11). peeking in at the windows: And the Lord came down
(Ex. 19:20). ...glancing through the lattice: When he said, I am the
Lord your God (Ex. 20:23), My beloved answered, he said to me: What
did he say to me? I am the Lord your God (Ex. 20:23).
[My beloved is like a gazelle:] Said R. Isaac, Just
as a gazelle skips and jumps from tree to tree, hut to hut, fence to fence, so
the Holy One, blessed be He, skips from one synagogue to another, one
study-house to another. On what account? So as to bless Israel. On account of
whose merit? On account of the merit of Abraham, who remained seated at the oak
of Mamre [where he was praying and studying]. That is in line with this verse
of Scripture: And the Lord appeared to him at the oak of Mamre, when he was
sitting down at the door of the tent (Gen. 18:1).
[As he sat at the door of his
teat in the heat of the day (Gen. 18:1)]: R. Berekhiah in the name of R.
Levi: “What is written is he sat [and not in the progressive tense, while he
was sitting]. When the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to him, our father
Abraham tried to stand. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, ‘Remain
seated.’ Our father Abraham sat down. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him,
‘[You thereby serve as a model for your children.] Abraham, whenever your
children enter synagogues and school houses, they may sit while my Glory
remains standing. What text of Scripture so indicates? God stands in the
congregation of God (Ps. 82:1).
R. Haggai in the name of R.
Isaac: What is written is not standing but ‘stationed at his post’ [Freedman,
Genesis Rabbah ad loc.:], which is to say, ‘ready,’ [Genesis Rabbah adds:] in
line with this verse: You shall be stationed on the rock (Ex. 33:21).
R. Samuel b. R. Hiyya b. R. Yudan
in the name of R. Haninah: In response to each and every statement of praise
with which Israel praises the Holy One, blessed be He, He brings his Presence
to rest on them. What is the text that makes that point? You are holy, 0 You
who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel (Ps. 22:4).
or a young wild goat: R. Yose b. R.
Haninah said, ‘Like the young of a gazelle.’
there he stands outside our wall: outside the walls of
synagogues and school houses. ...peeking in at the windows: from among
the shoulders of the priests. … glancing through the lattice: from among
the entwined fingers of the priests. ...My beloved answered, he said:
What did he say to me? May the Lord bless you and keep you (Num. 24:6).
Another interpretation of the verse:
My beloved is like a gazelle: Said R. Isaac, Just as a gazelle appears
and goes and disappears, so the first messiah [Moses] appeared to them and then
went and disappeared from their sight. How long did he disappear from sight?
Judah b. Rabbi says, Three months, in line with this verse of Scripture: They
met Moses and Aaron standing to meet them (Ex. 5:20).
...or a young wild goat: R. Yose b. R.
Haninah said, ‘Like the young of a gazelle.’
there he stands outside our wall: outside the walls of
the Western wall of the house of the sanctuary, which will never be destroyed. peeking
in at the windows: through the merit of the patriarchs. glancing through
the lattice: through the merit of the matriarchs. This serves to teach you
that just as there is a difference between a window and a lattice, so there is
a difference between the merit of the patriarchs and the merit of the
matriarchs.
R. Berekhiah in the name of R.
Levi, Like the first redeemer, so will the final redeemer be: Just as the first
redeemer appeared to them and then went and disappeared from them, so the final
redeemer will appear to them and then go and disappear from them. And how long
will he disappear from them? R. Tanhumah in the name of R. llama bar Hoshaia,
R. Menahema in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina: Forty-five days, in line with
this verse of Scripture: From the time when the regular offering is
abolished and ‘the abomination of desolation’ is set up, there shall be an
interval of one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Happy the man who
waits and lives to see the completion of one thousand three hundred and
thirty-five days [a difference of forty-five days] (Dan. 12:11-12). As to
the forty-five days that remain over the figure given in the earlier verse,
what are they? They are the forty-five days on which the Messiah, having
appeared to them, will go and disappear from them. Where will he lead them?
Some say, ‘To the wilderness of Judea,’ and some, ‘To the wilderness of Sihon
and Og.’ That is in line with this verse of Scripture: Therefore I will
seduce Israel and bring her into the wilderness (Hos. 2:16). He who
believes in him will eat saltwort and the roots of the broom and live, for in
the wilderness they pick saltwort with wormwood and the roots of the broom are
their food (Job 30:4). And he who does not believe in him will go to the
Gentiles of the world, who will kill him. Said R. Isaac bar Marian, At the end
of forty-five days the Holy One, blessed be He, will appear to them and bring
down manna. Why? For there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9).
What is the pertinent scriptural verse? I am the Lord your God from the land
of Egypt; I will make you dwell in tents again as in the days of the festival
(Hos. 12:10).
V:IX
My beloved answered, he said to
me, (Rise up, my darling; my fairest, come away. For now the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone; the flowers appear in the countryside; the time is
coming when the birds will sing, and the turtle-dove’s cooing will be heard in
our land; when the green figs will ripen on the fig-trees and the vines give
forth their fragrance. Rise up my darling, my fairest, come away) (Song 2:8-10): Said
R. Azariah, Is not ‘answering’ the same thing as ‘saying’? He answered me
through Moses, and said to me, through Aaron. What did he say to me? Rise
up: bestir yourself. ...my darling: daughter of Abraham, who made Me
beloved in My world. ...my fairest: daughter of Isaac, who made Me
beautiful in My world, when his father bound him on the altar. ...come away:
daughter of Jacob, who listened to his father and his mother: And Jacob
listened to his father and his mother (Gen. 28:17). For now the winter
is past: this refers to the four hundred years that were decreed for our
fathers to spend in Egypt. ...the
rains are over and gone: this refers to the two hundred and ten years.
Another interpretation: For
now the winter is past: this refers to the two hundred ten years. ...the
rains are over and gone: this refers to the subjugation.
Are not the rain and the
winter the same thing? Said R. Tanhuma. The principal trouble of the winter
is the rain [which lasts eighty-six days], the principal [and truly difficult]
part of the subjugation of Israel was only the eighty-six years from the time
that Miriam was born. And why was she called Miriam? Said R. Isaac, It is a
name that contains the meaning of bitterness, in line with this verse: And
they embittered their lives with hard work and with mortar (Ex. 1:14).
the flowers appear in the
countryside:
this refers to Moses and Aaron. ...the time is coming when the birds will
sing: the time for the foreskin [to be properly cut off] has come. The time
for the Egyptians to be cut off has come. The time for the idolatry to be
removed from the world has come: And against all the gods of Egypt I will
execute judgment, I am the Lord (Ex. 12:2). The time for the sea to be
split has come: And the waters split open (Ex. 14:21). The time for the
recitation of the Song at the Sea has come: Then Moses sang (Ex. 15:1).
The time for the Torah to be given has come: The Lord is my strength and my
song (Ex. 15:2). Said R. Bibi: [The appropriate text is this one:] Your
statutes have become my songs (Ps. 119:54). Said R. Tanhuma, The time for
the Israelites to make a song for the Holy One, blessed be He, has come: The
Lord is my strength and my song (Ex. 15:2).
...and the turtle-dove’s cooing
will be heard in our land:
Said R. Yohanan, [Since the word for turtle dove uses letters that may yield guide,
we read:] ‘the voice of the good guide is heard in our land.’ This refers to
Moses: And Moses said, Thus said the Lord, At about midnight (Ex. 11:4).
...when the green figs wilt ripen
on the fig-trees:
This refers to the three days of darkness, on which the wicked/lawless of
Israel perished.
and the vines give forth their
fragrance:
This refers to those who remained, who repented and were accepted. Moses said
to them, All this wonderful fragrance is coming from you, and you are sitting
here! Rise up my darling, my fairest, come away.
My beloved answered, he said to
me, [Rise up, my darling; my fairest, come away. For now the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone; the flowers appear in the countryside; the time is
coming when the birds will sing, and the turtle-dove’s cooing will be heart in
our land; when the green figs will ripen on the fig-trees and the vines give
forth their fragrance. Rise up my darling, my fairest, come away] (Song 2:8-10): Said
R. Azariah, Is not ‘answering’ the same thing as ‘saying’? He answered
me through Joshua, and said to me, through Eleazar. What did he say to
me? Rise up, my darling; my fairest, come away. For now the winter is
past: this refers to the forty years that the Israelites spent in the
wilderness. ...the rains are over and gone: this refers to the
thirty-eight years [after the rejection of the Land], in which anger was poured
out on Israel [and the generation of the wilderness was left to die out]. ...the flowers appear in the countryside:
this refers to the spies: One representative, one representative for each
tribe (Num. 34:18). the time is coming when the birds will sing: the
time for the foreskin [to be properly cut off] has come. The time for the
Canaanites to be cut off has come. The time for the Land of Israel to be cut up
has come: Among these you will cut up the land (Num. 26:53). ...and
the turtle-dove’s cooing will be heard in our land: Said R. Yohanan, [Since
the word for turtle-dove uses letters that may yield guide, we read:]
‘the voice of the good guide is heard in our land.’ This refers to Joshua: And
Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying (Josh. 1:10). ...when
the green figs will ripen on the fig-trees: This refers to the baskets of
first fruits. ...and the vines give forth their fragrance: This refers
to the drink-offerings.
My beloved answered, he said to
me, [Rise up, my darling; my fairest, come away. For now the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone; the flowers appear in the countryside; the time is
coming when the birds will sing, and the turtle-dove’s cooing will be heart in
our land; when the green figs will ripen on the fig-trees and the vines give
forth their fragrance. Rise up my darling, my fairest, come away] (Song 2:8-10): Said
R. Azariah, Is not ‘answering’ the same thing as ‘saying’? He answered
me through Daniel, and said to me, through Ezra. What did he say to me? Rise
up, my darling; my fairest, come away. For now the winter is past:
this refers to the seventy years of the dominion of Babylonia. ...the rains
are over and gone: this refers to the fifty-two years of the dominion of Media.
Another interpretation: For
now the winter is past: this refers to the seventy years that the
Israelites spent in exile. But were they not merely fifty-two years? Said R.
Levi, Eighteen years were taken off the total, for every eighteen years an echo
would go forth and resound in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, saying to him,
‘Wicked/lawless servant, go forth with the sword against the house of your
master, for the children of your master do not obey him.’
...the rains are over and gone: this refers to the
subjugation. the flowers appear in the countryside: for instance, Daniel
and his colleagues, Mordecai and his colleagues, Ezra and his colleagues. the
time is coming when the birds will sing: the time for the foreskin [to be
properly cut off] has come.: Th The time for the wicked/lawless to be broken
has come. The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked/lawless (Is.
14:5). The time for Babylonians to be removed has come. The time for the house
of the sanctuary to be rebuilt has come: Greater will be the glory of the
second house (Haggai 2:9). and the turtle-dove’s cooing will be heard in
our land: Said R. Yohanan, [Since the word for turtle-dove uses letters
that may yield guide, we read:] ‘the voice of the good guide is heard in
our land.’ This refers to Cyrus: Thus said Cyrus, king of Persia, All the
nations of the world...(Ezra 1:2). when the green figs will ripen on the
fig-trees: This speaks of the baskets of first fruits. ...and the vines give forth their
fragrance: This refers to the drink-offerings. Moses said to them, All this
wonderful fragrance is coming from you, and you are sitting here! Rise up my
darling, my fairest, come away.
My beloved answered, he said to
me, (Rise up, my darling; my fairest, come away. For now the winter is past, the
rains are over and gone; the flowers appear in the countryside; the time is
coming when the birds will sing, and the turtle-dove’s cooing will be heart in
our land; when the green figs will ripen on the fig-trees and the vines give
forth their fragrance. Rise up my darling, my fairest, comeaway] (Song 2:8-10): Said
R. Azariah, Is not ‘answering’ the same thing as ‘saying’? He answered me
through Elijah, and said to me, through the messiah- king. What did he
say to me? Rise up, my darling; my fairest, come away. For now the
winter is past: Said R. Azariah, This refers to the wicked/lawless (Rome)
kingdom, which misled people. That is in line with the following: When your
brother, son of your mother, misleads you (Deut. 13:7). ...the rains are
over and gone: this refers to the subjugation [to Rome]. ...the flowers appear in the countryside:
Said R. Isaac, It is written, The Lord showed me four craftsmen (Zech.
2:3). These are they: Elijah, the Messiah-king, Melchizedek, and the anointed
(Messiah) for war. the time is coming when the birds will sing: the time
for the foreskin [to be properly cut off] has come. The time for the Egyptians
to be cut off has come. The time for the wicked/lawless to be broken has
come: The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked/lawless (Is.
14:5). The time for the wicked/lawless kingdom to be uprooted from the world
has come. The time for the revelation of the kingdom of heaven has come: The
Lord will be king over all the earth (Zech. 14:9). ...and the turtle-dove’s cooing will be
heard in our land: Said R. Yohanan, [Since the word for turtle dove uses
letters that may yield guide, we read:] ‘the voice of the good guide is
heard in our land.’ This refers to the messiah king: How beautiful on the
hills are the feet of the bringer of glad tidings (Is. 52:7). when the
green figs will ripen on the fig-trees: Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, Close to
the days of the messiah a great thing will happen, and the wicked/lawless will
perish in it. ...and the vines give forth their fragrance: This refers
to those who remained: And those who remained in Zion, and the remnant in
Jerusalem, will be holy (Is. 4:3).
And rabbis say, In the
septennate in which the son of David comes, in the first of the seven year
spell, I shall cause it to rain on one town and not on another (Amos
4:7). In the second, the arrows of famine will be sent forth. In the third
there will be a great famine, and men, women, and children will die in it, and
the Torah will be forgotten in Israel. In the fourth, there will be a famine which
is not really a famine, and plenty which is not plentiful. In the fifth year,
there will be great plenty, and people will eat and drink and rejoice, and the
Torah will again be renewed. In the sixth there will be great thunders. In the
seventh there will be wars. And at the end of the seventh year of that
septennate, the son of David will come. Said R. Abbaye, How many septennates
have there been like this one, and yet he has not come! But matters accord with
what R. Yohanan said, In the generation in which the son of David comes,
disciples of sages will perish, and those that remain will have faint vision,
with suffering and sighing, and terrible troubles will come on the people, and
harsh decrees will be renewed. Before the first such decree is carried out,
another will be brought along and joined to it. Said R. Abun, In the generation
in which the son of David comes, the meeting place will be turned over to
prostitution, the Galilee will be destroyed, Gablan will be desolate, and the
Galileans will make the rounds from town to town and find no comfort. Truthful
men will be gathered up, and the truth will be fenced in and go its way. Where
will it go? A member of the household of R. Yannai said, It will go and dwell
in small flocks in the wilderness, in line with this verse of Scripture: Truth
will be among bands (Is. 59:15). Said R. Nehorai, In the generation in
which the son of David comes, youths will humiliate old men, sages will rise
before youths, a slave girl will abuse her mistress, a daughter-in-law her
mother-in-law, a man’s enemies will be his own householders, a son will not be
ashamed for his father, the wisdom of scribes will turn rotten, the vine will
give its fruit but wine will be expensive. Said R. Abba bar Kahana, The son of
David will come only to a generation which is liable for total extermination.
Said R. Yannai, The son of David will come only to a generation the principal
leaders of which are like dogs. Said R. Levi, If you see one generation after
another blaspheming, look for the footsteps of the messiah-king. What verse of
Scripture indicates it? Remember Lord the taunts hurled at your servant, how
I have borne in my heart the calumnies of the Gentiles; so have your enemies
taunted us, 0 Lord, taunted the successors of your anointed king (Ps. 89:5
1). What follows? Blessed is the Lord for ever, amen, amen (Ps. 89:52).
V:X
R. Jonah opened discourse by
citing this verse of Scripture: So I got her back for fifteen pieces of
silver, a homer of barley, [and a measure of wine; and I said to her, Many a
long day you shall live in my house and not play the wanton and have no
intercourse with a man, nor I with you. For the Israelites shall live many a
long day without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without
image or household gods, but after that they will again seek the Lord their God
and David their king and turn anxiously to the Lord for his bounty in days to
come) (Hos. 3:2-5). Said R. Yohanan, So I got her back for me, for
fifteen pieces of silver, lo, fifteen; and for a homer of barley, lo, thirty,
and a half-homer of barley, lo, sixty. This refers to the sixty religious
duties that Moses inscribed for us in the Torah. For R. Yohanan said in the
name of R. Simeon b. Yohai, There were three passages that Moses wrote for us
in the Torah, in each one of which there are sixty religious duties, and these
are they: the passage concerning the Passover offering, that concerning torts,
and that concerning Holy Things. R. Levi in the name of R. Shilah of Kefar
Tamratah, There are seventy in each. Said R. Tanhumah, They really do not
differ. One who treats the passage concerning the Passover-offering as
containing seventy religious duties treats it as encompassing the passage on
the phylacteries. One who treats the passage on torts as containing seventy
religious duties maintains that it encompasses the passage covering the year of
release. One who treats the passage of Holy Things as including seventy
religious duties encompasses with it the passage on orlah-fruit.
Another interpretation of the
verse, so I got her back for fifteen pieces of silver: Lo, the reference to
fifteen pieces of silver brings us to the fifteenth day of Nisan. When is this?
It is in this month: This month is for you the beginning of months (Ex.
12:2).
V:XI
This month is for you [the first
of months, you will make it the first month of the year] (Ex. 12:2): [Reading
the letters for month to sound like the word, innovation:] R. Berekhiah in the
name of R. Yudan b. R. Simeon: Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Israel,
‘There will be an innovation as to redemption for you in the age to come. In
the past I never redeemed one nation from the midst of another nation, but now
I am going to redeem one nation from the midst of another nation.’ That is in
line with this verse of Scripture: Has God tried to go and take for himself
a nation from the midst of another nation (Deut. 4:34).
R. Joshua bar Nehemiah in the
name of R. Yohanan bar Pazzi: ‘A nation from the midst of a people’ is not
written here, nor do we find, ‘a people from the midst of a nation,’ but a
nation from the midst of a nation [like itself, that is, in precisely the
same classification]. For the Egyptians were uncircumcised and the Israelites
also were uncircumcised. The Egyptians grew ceremonial locks, and so did the
Israelites. Therefore by the rule of strict justice, the Israelites ought not
to have been redeemed from Egypt. Said R. Samuel bar Nahmani, If the Hoiy One,
blessed be He, had not bound Himself by an oath, the Israelites in fact would
never have been redeemed from Egypt. Therefore say to the children of
Israel, I am the Lord, and I will take you out of the burdens of Egypt (Ex.
6:6). The language, [I am the Lord] therefore, refers only to an oath,
as it is said, Therefore I take an oath concerning the house of Eli (1
Sam. 3:4).
Said R. Berekhiah, You have
redeemed Your people with your arm (Ps. 77:16) — with naked power. Said R.
Yudan, From the phrase, To go and take a nation from the midst of another
nation, to the phrase great terrors (Deut. 4:34) are seventy-two letters.
Should you claim there are more, you should deduct from the count the last
reference to nation [Egypt], which does not count. R. Abin said, It was for the
sake of His name that He redeemed them, and the name of the Holy One, blessed
be He, consists of seventy-two letters.
[“This month is for you [the
first of months, you will make it the first month of the year] (Ex. 12:2)]: Said R.
Joshua b. Levi, The matter may be compared to the case of a king whose son was
taken captive, and he put on [the garb of] vengeance and went and redeemed his
son, and he said, ‘Count the years of my reign as beginning from the time of
the redemption of my son.’ So said the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Count the
years of My reign as beginning from the time of the Exodus from Egypt.
[This month is for you [the first
of months, you will make it the first month of the year] (Ex. 12:2)]: R. Levi
in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina said, The matter may be compared to the case
of a king who married many wives, but he did not write for them either a
marriage license or the dates of the marriage. But when he married a woman of
good family and the daughter of noble parents, he wrote for her a marriage
license and wrote the date of the marriage. So too of all the women whom
Ahasuerus married, he did not write for any one of them either a marriage
license or the date of the marriage. But when he married Esther, the daughter
of a good family and of noble lineage, he wrote for her both a marriage license
and the date of the marriage. He wrote for her a marriage license: On the
tenth month, the month of Tebeth (Est. 2:16). And he wrote for her the date
of the marriage: In the seventh year of his reign (Est. 2:16).
V:XII
Said R. Berekhiah, This month
is for you [the first of months, you will make it the first month of the year] (Ex.
12:2): [The waxing and waning of the moon serve] as an omen for you. The
seed of David...shall be established for ever as the moon (Ps. 89:38): Like
the moon, which is full and then obscured. If you have merit, lo, you will
count days like the moon’s waxing, but if you do not have merit, then you will
count days like the moon’s waning. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez, Hezron,
Ram, Aminadab, Nachshon, Salman, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David, Solomon: Then
Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king (1 Chr. 29:23) — [all provide
cases of counting days as] the moon when it is waxing. Lo, in these cases the
count was like the waning moon: Rehoboam, Abijah, Assa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram,
Ahaziali, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziali, Jothan, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Ammon,
Josiah, and Zedekiah: He blinded the eyes of Zedekiah (2 Kgs. 25:7) —
lo, [all these give us cases of] counting the days like the moon in its waning.
V:XIII
This month is for you [the first
of months, you will make it the first month of the year] (Ex. 12:2): ...for
you means that it is handed over to you. Said R. Joshua b. Levi, The matter
may be compared to the case of a king who had a clock. When his son grew up, he
handed over to him his clock. Said R. Yose bar Haninali, The matter may be
compared to the case of a king who had a watchtower. When his son grew up, he
handed over to him his watchtower. Said R. Aha, The matter may be compared to
the case of a king who had a ring. When his son grew up, he handed over to him
his ring. Said R. Isaac, It may be compared to the case of a king who had many
treasuries, and there was a key for each one of them. When his son grew up, he
handed over to him all the keys. Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, The matter may be
compared to a carpenter who had tools. When his son grew up, he handed over to
him the tools of his trade. And rabbis say, The matter may be compared to the
case of a physician who had a case of medicines. When his son grew up, he
handed over to him his medicine case.
R. Hoshaiah taught on Tannaite
authority, The court below made a decree saying, ‘Today is the new year.’ Said
the Holy One, blessed be He, to the ministering angels: ‘Set up a platform, let
the attorneys go up, let the clerks go up, for the court below has made a
decree, saying, ‘Today is the New Year.’ If the witnesses [to the appearance of
the new moon of Tishre] delayed in coming, or the court decided to intercalate
the year on the next day [so that that day would not be the new year], the Holy
One, blessed be He, says to the ministering angels, ‘Take away the platform,
take away the advocates and take away the clerks, for the court below has made
a decree saying, ‘Tomorrow [not today] is the New Year.’ What verse of Scripture
proves this point? For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment of the God of
Jacob (Ps. 8 1:5). If it is not a statute for Israel, it is — as it were —
also not a judgment of the God of Jacob.
R. Phineas, R. Hezekiah in the
name of R. Simon: All the ministering angels assemble with the Holy One,
blessed be He, saying to him, ‘Lord of the ages, when will it be the New Year?’
And He says to them, ‘Me do you ask? You and I will ask the court down below.’
What verse of Scripture proves this point? For the Lord our God is near
whenever we call to Him (Deut. 4:7). And we call to him only on the set
feasts, in line with this verse of Scripture: These are the set feasts of
the Lord, the holy convocations [which you will proclaim] (Lev. 23:4). R.
Qerispa in the name of R. Yohanan, In the past: These are the set feasts of
the Lord. But from now on: which you will proclaim: He said to them,
‘If you proclaim them, they are My set feasts, and if not, they are not My set
feasts.
V:XIV
This month is for you (the first
of months, you will make it the first month of the year] (Ex. 12:2): You count
by it, but the nations of the world will not count by it. [They use the solar
calendar, you the lunar one.]
R. Levi in the name of R. Yose b.
R. Ilai: It is merely natural that someone who presently is great should count
by what is great, and someone who presently is small should count by what is
small. Accordingly, Esau [Rome] counts by the sun, because it is great, while
Jacob [Israel] counts by the moon, for it is small. Said R. Nahman, That really
is a good omen. Esau counts by the sun, because it is great. But just as the
sun rules by day but does not rule by night, so the wicked/lawless Esau rules
in this world but not in the world to come. Jacob counts by the moon, which is
small, and just as the moon rules by night and also by day [making its
appearance both by night and by day], so too will Jacob rule in this world and
in the world to come. R. Nahman said, So long as the light of the great
luminary glows splendidly in the world, the light of the lesser luminary is not
going to be noted. Once the light of the great light sets, then the light of
the lesser one shines forth. So too, as long as the light of the wicked/lawless
Esau lasts, the light of Jacob will not be seen. Once the light of the
wicked/lawless Esau sets, then the light of Jacob will shine forth. That is in
line with this verse: Arise, shine [for behold, darkness shall cover the
earth, and gross darkness the peoples, but upon you the Lord will arise, and
his glory shall be seen upon you] (Is. 60:1).
3. A. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught
on Tannaite authority, In three matters Moses had difficulty. The Holy One,
blessed be He, showed him — as it were — with his finger: the candelabrum, the
creeping things, and the moon. As to the candelabrum: This is the work of
the candlestick (Num. 8:4). The creeping things: This is what is unclean
for you among the creeping things that creep on the earth (Lev. 11:29). The
moon: This month is for you [the first of months] (Ex. 12:2).”
V:XV
R. Simlai, and it has been taught
in the name of R. Samuel, Every month on the beginning of which the [Braude and
Kapstein, p. 116:] the conjunction of the new moon does not take place before
noon, one cannot see [the moon] before evening. R. Samuel bar Yeba, R. Aha in
the name of R. Samuel bar Nahman: In the year in which the Israelites went
forth, the beginning of the lunar month and the vernal equinox coincided
[sic!].
[Explaining the procedure for
receiving testimony of the appearance of the new moon, with reference to the
demonstrative statement, This month (=moon) is for you] R. Hiyya bar Ba
in the name of R. Yohanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, cloaked Himself in a
cloak bearing fringes and put Moses on one side and Aaron on the other, calling
Michael and Gabriel [to demonstrate the procedure for receiving testimony on
the appearance of the new moon]. He appointed them messengers to proclaim the
new moon and said to them. ‘On what side did you see the moon? Was it before
the sun or after the sun? Was it to the north or to the south? How high was it?
Where was it inclining? How thick was the cresent?’ He said to them, ‘This is
the procedure, as you see it here, is the way in which people should
intercalate the year down below; through an elder, with witnesses, through the
use of a cloak bearing show-fringes.
V:XVI
[This month is for you [the first
of months, you will make it the first month of the year] (Ex. 12:2):] R. Nahman
and R. Eleazar b. R. Yose and R. Aha: One of them said, [Reading the letters
for month to sound like the word, innovation;] Said the Holy One, blessed be
He, to Israel, There will be an innovation as to redemption for you in the age
to come. The other said, It will be an innovation as to the age to come that
you will have here. Just as, in the age to come, Then the eyes of the blind
will be opened (Is. 35:5), so now, And all the people saw the sounds
(Ex. 20:18). Just as in the age to come, The ears of the deaf will be
unstopped (Is. 35:5), so here, And they said, Everything which the Lord
has spoken we will do and we will hear (Ex. 24:7). Just as in the age to
come, Then the lamb will skip like a ram (Is. 35:6), so now, Moses
brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God and they stood below the
mountain (Ex. 19:17). Just as in the age to come, The tongue of the dumb
shall sing (Is. 35:6), so here: All the people sang together (Ex.
19:8).
V:XVII
Speak to the whole community of
Israel and say to them, On the tenth day of this month [let each man take a
lamb or a kid for his family, one for each household, but if a household is too
small for one lamb or one kid then the man and his nearest neighbor may take
one between them. They shall share the cost, taking into account both the
number of persons and the amount each of them eats. Your lamb or kid must be
without blemish, a yearling male. You may take equally a sheep or a goat. You
must have it in safe keeping until the fourteenth day of this month, and then
all the assembled community of Israel shall slaughter the victim between dusk
and dark. They must take some of the blood and smear it on the two doorposts
and on the lintel of every house in which they eat the lamb. On that night they
shall eat the flesh roast on the fire; they shall eat it with unleavened cakes
and bitter herbs. You are not to eat any of it raw or even boiled in water, but
roasted, head, shins, and entrails. You shall not leave any of it till morning;
if anything is left over until morning, it must be destroyed by fire] (Ex. 12:1-10): Said
R. Yohanan, “Is the lamb not suitable only when taken from the fold? Why say to
designate it on the tenth day, [even though it will not be used until the
fourteenth, four days later]? This teaches that the lambs were tied up to the
Israelites’ beds from the tenth day, and the Egyptians would come in and see
them and [realizing what was about to happen,] their souls would expire.
R. Hiyya son of R. Ada of Jaffa:
[Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them,] Draw out and get
sheep for your families and slaughter the Passover (Ex. 12:21): The
requirement is that each one of you draw out the god of an Egyptian and
slaughter it in his presence, [Braude and Kapstein, p. 118: even as the
Egyptian...speaks up in protest].
R. Helbo in the name of R.
Yohanan: Here you say, On the tenth day of this month (Ex. 12:3), and
later on: The people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day (Joshua
4:19). R. Hiyya in the name of R. Yohanan: The act of taking the lamb is what
sustained the Israelites at the Jordan, and the act of eating it is what
protected them in the days of Haman. And they will eat the meat on that
night (Ex. 12:8). On that night the sleep of the king was troubled
(Est. 6:1).
R. Berekhiah in the name of R.
Abbahu: Nahum the son of R. Simai in Tarsus gave this exposition: ...let
each man take [a lamb or a kid for his family, one for each household] —
the man here is the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, The Lord is a
man of war (Ex. 15:3). [Since the meaning is that they must “take” the Holy
One, blessed be He, we ask:] with what does one acquire him? With the two daily
continual offerings [one in the morning, the other at dusk,] a lamb for the
house of the fathers, a lamb for the house of the fathers (Ex. 12:3).
Said R. Yudan in the name of R.
Simon, No one ever spent the night in Jerusalem while still bearing sin. How
so? The daily whole-offering of the morning would effect atonement for the sins
that had been committed overnight, and the daily whole-offering of dusk would
effect atonement for the transgressions that had been committed by day. In
consequence, no one ever spent the night in Jerusalem while still bearing sin.
What is the verse of Scripture that makes that point? Righteousness/generosity
will spend the night in it (Is. 1:21).
V:XVIII
[Interpreting the combination of
the word for month, as new, hence, renewal, and the word for
first, in the verse, This month is for you the first of months, you will
make it the first month of the year), R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Isaac:
New (Ex. 12:3): Renew your deeds, for [otherwise] the head and first of
all will come. The first is Nebuchadnezzar, the wicked/lawless, of whom it is
written: You are the head of gold (Dan. 2:3 8). The first is the
wicked/lawless Esau, of whom it is written, The first came forth red
(Gen. 25:25). Who will exact vengeance for you from the first? It is the first:
I the Lord am the first and the last, I am he (Is. 41:4). Who will exact
vengeance for you from Media [Haman]? [It is the kingdom mentioned when the
cited verse speaks ofl the tenth, [at Ex. 12:3].
Said R. Abin, The ten alludes to
[the ten thousand talents of silver to be paid to Ahasuerus] by Haman and his
ten sons. Who will exact vengeance for you from them? The two guardians,
Mordecai and Esther, Mordecai on the outside, Esther on the inside. Who will
exact vengeance for you from Greece? The sons of the Hasmoneans, who offered
the two daily whole-offerings every day. Who will exact vengeance for you from
Edom? Natronah. And he shall serve as a guard for you to the fourteenth day
of the month (Ex. 12:6).
[Reverting back to the verse
cited above, “The first came forth red” (Gen. 25:25):] said the Holy One,
blessed be He, His father called him the greater: And he called Esau, his
son, the greater (Gen. 27:1). And his mother called him the greater: Rebecca
took the clothing of Esau, her son, the greater (Gen. 27:15). But I will
call him the lesser: And lo, I have made you least among the nations
(Ob. 1:2). Since they call him the greater, in accord with the size of the ox
is the measure of the slaughterer: The Lord has a sacrifice in Bosrah, a
great slaughter in the land of Edom (Is. 34:6). Said R. Berekhiah, “[We
read the verse:] There will be a great slaughterer in the land of Edom’
[namely, God himself].
V:XIX
[Continuing the account of the
punishment of Edom:] You are not to eat any of it raw — that is, not
merely half-cooked, or merely or even boiled in water, but roasted, head,
shins, and entrails. [Edom, together
with] its dukes, its hyparchs, and its generals. Your wealth, your staple
wares, your imports, your sailors and your helmsmen, your caulkers, your
merchants, and your warriors, all your ship’s company, all who were with you
were flung into the sea on the day of your disaster; at the cries of your helmsmen
the troubled waters tossed (Ez. 27:27-28): Said R. Samuel bar R. Isaac, All
your ship’s company encompasses even those who had been of my company and
had gone and joined your company — even they were flung into the sea on the
day of your disaster.
This is the way in which you must
eat it: you shall have your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet and your
staff in your hand, and you must eat in urgent haste. It is the Lord’s Passover (Ex. 12:11): Said R.
Samuel bar Nahman, Since in this world, you must eat in urgent haste, in the
world to come what is written? But you shall not come out in urgent haste
nor leave like fugitives; for the Lord will march at your head, your rearguard
will be Israel’s God (Is. 52:12).
Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan
for: B’Midbar (Num.) 28:9-15
|
Rashi
|
Targum
Pseudo-Jonathan
|
|
9
On the Shabbat day [the offering will be] two yearling lambs without blemish,
and two tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour as a meal-offering, mixed with
[olive] oil, and its libation.
|
9
but on the day of Shabbatha two lambs of the year without blemish, and two‑tenths
of flour mixed with olive oil for the mincha and its libation.
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|
10
This is the burnt-offering on its Shabbat, in addition to the constant
(daily) burnt-offering and its libation.
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10
On the Sabbath thou shalt make a Sabbath burnt sacrifice in addition to the
perpetual burnt sacrifice and its libation.
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|
11
At the beginning of your months you will bring a burnt-offering to Adonai,
two young bulls, one ram, seven yearling lambs, [all] without blemish.
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11
And at the beginning of your months you shall offer a burnt sacrifice before
the Lord; two young bullocks, without mixture, one ram, lambs of the year
seven, unblemished;
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12
And three tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour as a meal-offering mixed with
the [olive] oil for each bull, two tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour as a
meal-offering, mixed with the [olive] oil for the one ram,
|
12
and three tenths of flour mingled with oil for the mincha for one bullock;
two tenths of flour with olive oil for the mincha of the one ram;
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13
And one tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour as a meal-offering mixed with the
[olive] oil for each lamb. A burnt-offering of pleasing aroma, a
fire-offering to Adonai.
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13
and one tenth of flour with olive oil for the mincha for each lamb of the
burnt offering, an oblation to be received with favour before the Lord.
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14
Their libations [will be], one half of a hin for (a) bull, one third of a hin
for the ram, and one fourth of a hin for (the) lamb, of wine. This is the
burnt-offering of each [Rosh] Chodesh, at its renewal throughout the months
of the year.
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14
And for their libation to be offered with them, the half of a bin for a
bullock, the third of a bin for the ram, and the fourth of a hin for a lamb,
of the wine of grapes. This burnt sacrifice shall be offered at the beginning
of every month in the time of the removal of the beginning of every month in
the year;
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15
And [You will also bring] one he-goat for a sin offering to Adonai, in
addition to the constant (daily) burnt-offering it will be done, and its
libation.
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15
and one kid of the goats, for a sin offering before the Lord at the
disappearing (failure) of the moon, with the perpetual burnt sacrifice shalt
thou perform with its libation.
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Rashi Commentary
for: B’Midbar (Numbers) 28:9-15
10 The burnt offering
of each Sabbath on its Sabbath But not the burnt offering of this Sabbath on
another Sabbath. For if they did not offer one up on this Sabbath, I might
think that two should be offered up on the following Sabbath. Scripture
therefore says, “on its Sabbath” to instruct us that if its day passes, its
offering is canceled.-[Sifrei Pinchas 40]
in addition to the
continual burnt offering
This refers to the additional [musaf] offerings, besides those two lambs of the
continual burnt offering. And it teaches us that they [the additional
sacrifices] may be offered only between the two continual offerings. Similarly,
in the case of all the additional offerings it says, “In addition to the
continual burnt offering” for this teaching.-[Sifrei Pinchas 40]
12 Three tenths As is the case with
the libations brought with a bull, for thus they are fixed in the portion
dealing with libations [see 15:9].
14 This is the burnt
offering of each new month in its month However, once the day passes,
its offering is canceled, and there is no way to make it up.-[Sifrei
Pinchas 43]
15 And one young male
goat...
All the additional-offering goats were brought to atone for defiling the
Sanctuary and it holy sacrifices, as is outlined in the Tractate of Shevuoth
(9a). The young male goat [brought] on the first day of the month differs
insofar as with regard to it Scripture says, “to the Lord.” This teaches you
that it atones for a case where there is no awareness [of the person’s
uncleanness] either before [entering the Temple or eating sacrificial food] or
after [the sin has been committed]. The only One aware of the sin is the Holy
One, blessed is He. We derive [the law of] the other young male goats from this
one. In the Aggadah, it is expounded thus: The Holy One, blessed is He, said,
“Bring atonement for Me because I diminished [the size of] the moon.” -[Shev.
9a]
it shall be offered up
in addition to the continual burnt offering This entire offering [not just
the young male goat]. and its libation [The phrase] “and its libation” does not
refer to the young male goat because sin-offerings have no libations.
Special Ketubim Rosh Chodesh – Proverbs
7:1-27
1
¶ My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments within you.
2
Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3
Bind them upon your fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
4
Say unto wisdom: ‘You are my sister’, and call understanding your kinswoman;
5
That they may keep you from the strange woman, from the alien woman that
makes smooth her words.
6
¶ For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7
And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young
man void of understanding,
8
Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
9
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the
darkness.
10
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of
heart.
11
She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
12
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lies in wait at every
corner.
13
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
14
‘Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
15
Therefore came I forth to meet you, to seek your face, and I have found you.
16
I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of
Egypt.
17
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves
with loves.
19
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20
He has taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the new moon.’
21
With her much fair speech she causes him to yield, with the blandishment of her
lips she entices him away.
22
He goes after her straightway, as an ox that goes to the slaughter, or as one
in fetters to the correction of the fool;
23
Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare—and
knows not that it is at the cost of his life.
24
¶ Now therefore, O you children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my
mouth.
25
Let not your heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26
For she has cast down many wounded; yes, a mighty host are all her slain.
27
Her house is the way to the nether-world, going down to the chambers of death.
Ashlamatah:
Yechezqel (Ezekiel) 45:18-46:15
18
Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, in the first day of the month,
you will take a young bullock without blemish; and you will purify the
sanctuary.
19
And the priest will take of the blood of the sin-offering, and put it upon the
door-posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar,
and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.
20
And so you will you do on the seventh day of the month for every one that
errs, and for him that is simple; so will you make atonement for the house.
21
In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, you will have the
Passover; a feast of seven days; unleavened bread will be eaten.
22
And upon that day will the prince prepare for himself and for all the
people of the land a bullock for a sin-offering.
23
And the seven days of the feast he will prepare a burnt-offering to the LORD,
seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a
he-goat daily for a sin-offering.
24
And he will prepare a meal-offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a
ram, and a hin of oil to an ephah.
25
In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, in the feast, will he
do the like the seven days; to the sin-offering as well as the burnt-offering,
and the meal-offering as well as the oil. {S}
1
Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that looks toward the
east will be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it will be
opened, and in the day of the new moon it will be opened.
2
And the prince will enter by the way of the porch of the gate without, and will
stand by the post of the gate, and the priests will prepare his burnt-offering
and his peace-offerings, and he will worship at the threshold of the gate; then
he will go forth; but the gate will not be shut until the evening.
3
Likewise the people of the land will worship at the door of that gate
before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons.
4
And the burnt-offering that the prince will offer unto the LORD will be on the
Sabbath day six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish;
5
and the meal-offering will be an ephah for the ram, and the meal-offering for
the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah. {S}
6
And in the day of the new moon it will be a young bullock without blemish; and
six lambs, and a ram; they will be without blemish;
7
and he will prepare a meal-offering, an ephah for the bullock, and an ephah for
the ram, and for the lambs according as his means suffice, and a hin of oil to
an ephah.
8
And when the prince will enter, he will go in by the way of the porch of the
gate, and he will go forth by the way thereof.
9
But when the people of the land will come before the LORD in the appointed
seasons, he that enters by the way of the north gate to worship will go forth
by the way of the south gate; and he that enters by the way of the south gate
will go forth by the way of the north gate; he will not return by the way of
the gate whereby he came in, but will go forth straight before him.
10
And the prince, when they go in, will go in the midst of them; and when
they go forth, they will go forth together.
11
And in the feasts and in the appointed seasons the meal-offering will be an
ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs as he is able to
give, and a hin of oil to an ephah. {P}
12
And when the prince will prepare a freewill-offering, a burnt-offering or
peace-offerings as a freewill-offering unto the LORD, one will open for him the
gate that looks toward the east, and he will prepare his burnt-offering and his
peace-offerings, as he does on the Sabbath day; then he will go forth; and
after his going forth one will shut the gate.
13
And you will prepare a lamb of the first year without blemish for a
burnt-offering unto the LORD daily; morning by morning will you prepare it.
14
And you will prepare a meal-offering with it morning by morning, the
sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil, to moisten the fine
flour: a meal-offering unto the LORD continually by a perpetual ordinance.
15
Thus will they prepare the lamb, and the meal-offering, and the oil,
morning by morning, for a continual burnt-offering. {S}
Special Ashlamatah:
I Samuel 20: 18,42
18. And Jonathan said unto him: ‘Tomorrow is the new
moon; and you will be missed, your seat will be empty.
42. And Jonathan said to David: ‘Go in peace,
forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying: The LORD
will be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed, forever.’ And he
arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
Nazarean Codicil:
Colossians 2:16-23 & I Corinthians
5:6-8
Hakham’s
Translation:
Col.
2:16. ¶ Not therefore anyone you let judge, but the body of the Messiah,
in food or in drink, or in respect of a feast, or of a new moon, or of [the]
sabbaths,
17.
Which are a shadow of the things coming.
18.
No one, you let defraud of your prize, doing [his own] will in
humility and in worship of the messengers, intruding into the things he has not
seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his Yetser HaRa (evil inclination).
19.
And not holding fast [to] the head (chief), from which all the body--through
the joints and bands gathering supply, and being knit together--may increase
with the increase of God.
20.
¶ If, then, you did die with the Messiah from the rudiments of the world, why,
as if alive in [the] world, do you subject to decrees?
21.
You may not handle, nor taste, nor touch--
22.
[Which are all for destruction with the using], according to the
injunctions and teachings of [Gentile] men,
23.
Which are, indeed, having an appearance of wisdom in voluntary worship, and
humility, and neglecting of [the] body -- not in a certain honour, for
satisfaction of the Yetser HaRa (evil inclination).
1Co
5:6
Not good [is] your boasting. Know you not that a little leaven the whole lump
leavens?
7.
Cleanse out, therefore, the old leaven, that you may be a new lump,
according as you are unleavened, for also our Passover for us was sacrificed--Messiah,
8.
So that we should celebrate the feast [of Passover], not with old leaven,
nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness (Lawlessness), but with unleavened
[bread] of sincerity and of truth.
Questions for Meditation &
Dialogue
1.
According to Pesiqta deRab
Kahana, Pisqa V:1, on what day of the week did the Israelites had their
Passover in Egypt (i.e., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.), and on what day of
the week did they left Egypt (i.e., Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.)?
2.
The emblem of Christianity is the
sun, and the emblem of Islam is the crescent moon, what kind of emblem did G-d
give to Israel?
3.
What authority was transferred to
Israel by G-d, most blessed be He, in the statement of the Torah in Exodus
12:1-2? Please explain your answer.
4.
Explain the Rabbinic notion:
“Like the first redeemer, so will the final redeemer be.”
5.
What conditions on earth will be
like when Messiah comes, according to the Rabbis? [Please, remember that
Pesiqta deRab Kahana is a text of metaphors, and therefore it ought not to be
interpreted literally!]
6.
Why is it said that “No one ever
spent the night in Jerusalem while still bearing sin”? Why could it also be said, “No one ever spent
the night at the local Jewish community while still bearing sin”? Please
explain your answers.
7.
How do we know from Pisqa
V:XVIII, that our Septennial Torah Cycle readings is correct?
8.
How does the text of 1
Corinthians 5:7-8 explains the meaning of the text of Colossians 2:16-17?
Please explain your answer.
9.
How is the Torah Seder related
to:
(a)
Proverbs 7:1-27?
(b)
The Ashlamatah of Ezekiel 45:18 –
46:15?
(c)
Colossians 2:16-23 & 1
Corinthians 5:6-8?
10.
After taking into consideration
all the above texts and our Torah Seder, what would you say is the general
message from the Scriptures for this coming week?
Next
Shabbat:
(Nisan
5, 5770)
|
Shabbat
|
Torah Reading:
|
Weekday Torah Reading:
|
|
וְעָשִׂיתָ
פָרֹכֶת
|
|
|
|
“V’A’asit Parokhet”
|
Reader 1 – Shemot 26:31-33
|
Reader 1 –
Sh’mot 27:20 – 28:1
|
|
“And you will make a curtain”
|
Reader 2 – Shemot 26:34-37
|
Reader 2 –
Sh’mot 28:1-3
|
|
“Y
harás una cortina”
|
Reader 3 – Shemot 27:1-3
|
Reader 3 –
Sh’mot 28:3-5
|
|
Shemot (Exodus) 26:31 – 27:19
|
Reader 4 – Shemot 27:4-8
|
|
|
Ashlamatah: Ezekiel 16:10-19, 60
|
Reader 5 – Shemot 27:9-11
|
|
|
|
Reader 6 – Shemot 27:12-15
|
Reader 1 –
Sh’mot 27:20 – 28:1
|
|
Psalm 61:1-8
|
Reader 7 – Shemot 27:16-19
|
Reader 2 –
Sh’mot 28:1-3
|
|
|
Maftir – Shemot
27:17-19
|
Reader 3 –
Sh’mot 28:3-5
|
|
N.C.: Mark 8:34 – 9:1
|
Ezekiel 16:10-19, 60
|
|
Coming Festival: Passover – March
30, 2010
For
further study see: http://www.betemunah.org/chametz.html; http://www.betemunah.org/passover.html; http://www.betemunah.org/chronology.html; http://www.betemunah.org/redemption.html; http://www.betemunah.org/haggada.html & http://www.betemunah.org/pcustoms.html
Shabbat
Shalom!
Hakham
Dr. Yosef ben Haggai
Paqid
Adon Mikha ben Hillel
Esnoga Bet Emunah